THE PROJECTS

Since CAMDA's inception 6 years ago, it was clear that the effects of the first series of disasters resulting in the loss of millions of herd animals and horses, would reverberate for years ahead. Widespread poverty took hold of many herders, and even now several years on, many herder families are still living at subsistence level.
The need was for a form of aid that would enable families and communities to not just recover, but to continue to sustain their often fragile way of life as nomadic herders in an unforgiving climate, and in a flagging economy.

Our strategy was, and still is, to directly assist in maintaining healthy animals that will better survive extreme conditions whatever their causes. However, this strategy depends on the sort of conditions that prevail in different areas. For some, the need is for a bigger hay harvest to boost winter fodder reserves. For others in the south, the need is more for increased water supplies. For all, there is a need for better animal health that, where already weakened by parasite-borne diseases, they will be less able to survive harsh weather and poor diet.
To these ends we set up three programmes of aid:

Mechanised harvesting equipment (full details)
Well refurbishment or renewal (full details)
Veterinary aid for horses and camels (full details)

HARVESTING

In the north, our provision of horse-drawn grass cutting machines is both speeding up and boosting the hay harvest so increasing vital winter fodder reserves. A more efficient semi-motorised version is about to be manufactured local to point of need, to further boost this essential harvest. Funded by WSPA (see their page) - this aid will provide extra fodder when deadly dzuds in the form of deep frozen snow, prevent grazing often for months at a time - as happened in the past - with such lethal effect.

WELLS

Further south, clean water provided by wells is perennially in short supply. Viable grazing in the arid Gobi zone of the country is underused, and other areas are overgrazed.Renovation and subsequent maintenance of the many unusable wells can help restore this situation to more localised herding. Herders and animals will not have to travel so far for vital water. We have so far refurbished 12 wells in the badly affected province of Gurvan Saikhan, opening up new pastures to thousands of animals.
Work on a further 15 wells began in Erdenedalai in 2005, for completion 2006-7. This project will bring much needed water to those living in the fringes of the parched Gobi Desert.

VETERINARY AID

Our third major project - funded by WSPA (see their page) - began late in 2003 with 2 mobile vet units bringing veterinary aid to thousands of horses in 2 northern provinces (Bulgan & Khuvsgul). 29,000 horses were given life-enhancing inoculations. From 2004 onwards we extended this project to Dundgobi - a desert region with sparse vegetation, and similar veterinary needs.
In 2007 we treated 49,000 horses in these 3 provinces, each receiving a spring and an autumn inoculation.

Any donations that you make goes towards these projects and will directly benefit herding communities in ways that will help poorer communities to stave off the constant threat of animal mortality - a loss they cannot afford, since herd animals are their only means of making a living.

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